Indiana State Police

As children throughout Indiana return to school, drivers will notice more school buses on the road.

State law requires motorists to stop when a school bus is picking up or dropping off children. Watch for school buses with their stop arm extended and red lights flashing, which means STOP, not proceed with caution!

This law applies to all roadways except those that are divided by a physical barrier or an unimproved median. On a divided roadway, only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop. Extra awareness is also required in rural areas where distracted or impatient drivers often ignore school buses when children are getting on or off the bus. Disregarding a school bus stop signal is serious, and you can receive a traffic ticket for doing so.

Drivers should also be aware of increased pedestrian traffic, particularly around bus stops and schools. Please remember, if your child was boarding a school bus, you would want motorists to be attentive as they drive.